Stuck
by Ster J
Summary: Spock and Christine get stuck in a turbolift. Spock asks, Why me?


Title: Stuck

Author: Ster Julie

Codes: S, Ch; Stuck in a Turbolift challenge

Rating: G

Part 1 of 1

--ooOoo--

"Hold please!" Spock heard as the turbolift doors began to close. He thrust his arm between the doors to re-open them as requested.

Nurse Christine Chapel entered, bearing a tray with a covered dish.

Spock looked at the tray with a sense of dismay and déjà vu. _Why did it have to be Chapel?_ He wondered morosely._ And why did she have to be carrying a tray of what smelled like soup? Why me??_

As Spock thought these very un-Vulcanlike thoughts, the lift car jerked as if caught on one side to the lift tube. It produced an ear-splitting wail then came to a skewed stop. The floor canted so precariously that both officers instinctively sat down instead of trying to stand.

Christine checked her tray. She was pleased to see that she hadn't spilled a drop. Not only was Ensign Cardelli waiting for his lunch, it wouldn't do to scald either herself or the First Officer with the _pastina en brodo. _She was grateful that Cardelli was vegetarian. She wondered what Spock would have done had they been holed up together with her carrying a bowl of, say, beef consommé?

Spock edged over to the lift controls. He could hear engineers and maintenance personnel already working in the shaft to dislodge the wedged car. He found his gaze drawn to the nurse and her tray. Spock remembered disgracing himself when the good nurse came to his own quarters bearing such a tray during his Time. The stain from the plomeek root could not be washed off, so the wall had to be repainted, all because of him and his Vulcan temper while in the Fever.

Christine caught Spock studying her tray. Her cheeks flamed knowing what he was remembering. That time she had nearly ended up wearing the soup. "Ensign Cardelli has a bad sinus infection," she explained in response to the question in Spock's eyes.

_So, _Spock thought,_ she does this for others and not just for me. _Part of Spock was disappointed. He thought Christine was giving him special treatment because of her feelings for him. Now he realized that she must do this for all her patients.

Spock also realized that he needed to revisit the Disciplines with a lengthy and thorough study. Upon quick self examination he realized that he had experienced annoyance, resentment, and disappointment in the short time he had been stuck in a turbolift with the nurse. He had also been neglectful of ascertaining the needs of the nurse. Seeing that she was still trying to awkwardly balance the tray on her knees without spilling its contents, Spock lifted the burden from her and propped it on the floor, wedging the salt shaker underneath it to counter the floor's slope.

Christine smiled shyly in response.

"I can hear our rescuers above and below us," Spock announced. "I trust we shall soon be out. In the meantime, I will spend the time until they release us in mediation."

"I'll be quiet," Christine replied.

Spock found her response superfluous. Miss Chapel had always been respectful of his cultural needs. It reflected badly upon him that she felt the need to state the obvious. He would start his reflections there. _How badly have I been treating Christine that she needs to act so cautiously around me? How can I change my actions toward her, without, of course giving her any, as Mother would say, "wrong ideas"? _

Spock paused. _And what would be wrong with such "wrong ideas"? That is, supposing that they would be the correct ideas. _

Christine tried to give Spock all the space she could in their cramped quarters, but she couldn't help but notice when he shuddered. She wondered what he was thinking about to cause such a physical response.

_Illogical! _Spock chided himself mentally. He recited a mediation chant to re-center himself and continue his mediations. But try as he may, Spock continued to return to Christine. He knew she was a gifted researcher. He experienced first hand her nursing abilities. That moment Spock began to see that Christine did not confine her nursing skills to sickbay or to the hours on duty. It became obvious to him that Christine saw her duty as a ministry, and ministry knew no boundaries nor did it punch a time clock. There was no doubt to Spock that she cared for him, but now he realized that she cared, _period,_ about everyone on board to some degree or another.

Christine caught Spock looking at her thoughtfully. _What are you thinking?_ she wondered.

Neither of them had time to complete their thoughts as, just at that moment, the car was dislodged and resumed moving to the desired level.

Spock picked up the tray as the floor was righted. He rose and lowered a helping hand to the good nurse. Christine retrieved Ensign Cardelli's tray from Spock and checked that everything was still intact. She was pleased to find that the thermal bowl had even kept the soup hot. Christine nodded pleasantly to the First Officer and continued on her journey to the sick man's bedside.

Spock watched the nurse walk down the corridor until she was out of sight.

Stuck.

Spock had once been stuck with T'Pring as his intended, but that was no longer the case. He had been stuck in a turbolift with Nurse Chapel, but he had learned something about the woman _and_ himself. Spock realized that he would not be opposed to being "stuck" with Christine in life.

Stuck. The word did not sound so intimidating any more.

END


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